Transcript Highlights:

• and our homeless students...
• The OEO also advocates on behalf of elementary and secondary students.
• language is not English, students of color, students with disabilities, and their families.
• , staff, and student families in our communities.
• That still protects student data in different ways.

Bills: HB2440 , HB2551 , HB2593

Committee: House Education

Keywords: education, ombudsman, record-keeping, transparency, advocacy, school funding, financial solvency, education budget, district financial health, state funding, accounting, budgeting, reporting, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and our homeless students...
• language is not English, students of color, students with disabilities, and their families.
• , staff, and student families in our communities.
• That are de-identifiable and do not protect student confidentiality.
• That still protects student data in different ways.

Summary: The House Education Committee heard public testimony on three bills focused on school district finances and education ombuds confidentiality. House Bill 2593, an OSPI request, would require school districts to maintain minimum general fund balances beginning in the 2031 school year, with OSPI calculating district-specific amounts and adopting rules. It would also require monthly financial reporting starting in 2028-29 and allow OSPI to withhold apportionment for late reporting or require repayment plans if districts fall below the minimum. Supporters, including OSPI and the prime sponsor, said the bill is intended to prevent districts from reaching binding financial conditions and to provide earlier intervention; opponents from WASDA, rural districts, and school boards argued it would reduce local control, create cash-flow problems, and impose rigid limits that do not fit different district circumstances. Several witnesses also raised concerns about the proposed maximum fund balance and the impact on districts with enrollment volatility, federal impact aid, or special project savings needs. The committee also heard House Bill 2551, which would let school districts with estimated ending fund balances at or below 3% of revenues seek OSPI approval to sell real property before entering binding financial conditions, with proceeds used to restore solvency rather than being deposited into capital or debt service funds. The prime sponsor and Tacoma School District testified that the bill would give districts flexibility to avoid deeper fiscal distress, while OSPI said it supported the concept but suggested a higher threshold and broader minimum fund balance policy. Testimony in opposition or concern focused on the risk of selling appreciating assets, the possibility of one-time sales being used to solve ongoing budget problems, and the need for stronger state funding rather than asset liquidation. The committee also heard House Bill 2440, which would make identifying information in Office of Education Ombuds complaint records confidential, allow limited disclosure by consent or under legislative or gubernatorial subpoena, and require release of a complainant’s own records with redactions; the bill was supported by the ombuds office and its sponsor as a way to protect complainants and encourage reporting. No votes or executive actions were taken. The committee closed the public hearings after hearing testimony and recorded sign-ins, and the chair noted that the bills could be eligible for executive action beginning the following Monday.

Transcript Highlights:

• Regional schools have their students come and partake of the museum.
• Regional schools have their students come and partake of the museum.
• </c> students come and partake of the museum. students come and partake of the museum.
• </c> safety of our students and families. safety of our students and families.
• </c> trying to get um homeless into housing? trying to get um homeless into housing?

Bills: HF3700 , HF3982 , HF3927 , HF3933 , HF3949 , HF4238 , HF4275 , HF4476 , HF4504

Committee: House Capital Investment

Keywords: Duluth, Lake Superior Zoo, capital improvements, funding, bonds, appropriations, capital investment, port development, grant caps, state assistance, navigation facilities, Dakota County, state bonds, park improvements, infrastructure, transportation, safety, congestion, water infrastructure, bond issuance

Transcript Highlights:

• She's a student at North Oldham High School and a constituent of the Speaker.
• She's a student at North Oldham High School and a constituent of the Speaker.
• I work as the director of education and advocacy for the Coalition for the Homeless in Louisville, Kentucky
• I work as the director of education and advocacy for the Coalition for the Homeless in Louisville, Kentucky
• And we want to see every time a student was basically brought into the court system and then withdrew

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We had 230,000 students.
• But if a student goes to a non-public school as an EFA student, they are an EFA student.
• </c> students that um identify as homeless students that um identify as homeless and<01:41:21.280><c>
• </c><04:20:40.880><c> and</c> students and the amount per student and students and the amount per student
• They might go, oh, we missed a student here or missed a student there.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Division II committee heard a Department of Education budget presentation from Commissioner Frank Edelblut and CFO Tammy Valen-cour. The department outlined its organizational structure and emphasized that it functions largely as a flow-through agency for school funding. The commissioner reviewed general fund and Education Trust Fund items, including state aid, dropout prevention, special education, building aid, lease aid, charter schools, Education Freedom Accounts, and the district adequacy calculation. He also highlighted the public school infrastructure fund, saying the state has invested well over $50 million in school safety since 2018 for measures such as access controls, locks, and window film, and argued that safety spending should be ongoing rather than reactive. Members asked about the variability in the school infrastructure line, special education aid, and the Discovery Education learning platform. Edelblut explained that some safety funding had come from one-time surplus appropriations rather than the agency line, and said special education aid was underappropriated because districts submitted more invoices than expected; he said the governor added $16 million to address the shortfall. He also described CTE renovation funding, noting four projects were initially proposed but only Jaffrey and Milford were still moving forward, with local votes required and the state covering 75% of costs. He said Milford’s project was omitted from the governor’s budget by oversight. The department also reviewed enrollment trends, noting public school enrollment has fallen from about 230,000 students in 2002 to about 185,000 today. Edelblut clarified that charter students are not eligible for Education Freedom Accounts, while EFA students attending non-public schools are counted as EFA students. He described several one-time surplus-funded initiatives, including Student Clearinghouse, MTSSB work, civics curriculum development, computer science education, and adult education. He also discussed a $4 million CTE tuition and transportation grant, saying it was kept as a competitive grant rather than a formula grant to avoid creating an ongoing maintenance-of-effort commitment that could jeopardize federal Perkins funding. In the final portion, Edelblut identified prioritized needs in the department’s budget, especially funding for a state administrator for assessment to support the legislatively required civics assessment, and additional support for the Discovery Education platform. He said every school in the state is using the platform and cited more than 1.5 million educator engagements, while a member raised concerns about mixed reviews and uneven district awareness of the program. No votes or formal actions were taken during the presentation and question period.

Transcript Highlights:

• Students and parents, if Capitol today.
• For those that are homeless and do 18.
• It's not a class action; it's one student.
• It's not a class action, of one student.
• </c> it's one student. it's one student.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am a Power California advocate, a third-year student at UCLA, and I have been part of the workforce
• As a college student, I'm constantly thinking Pay disparities can have lasting consequences.
• As a college student, I'm constantly thinking about how to pay for school, transportation, and everyday
• As a college student, I'm constantly thinking about how to pay for school, transportation, and everyday
• we still need to solve that crisis of our housing crisis and the issues that we're facing with homelessness

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on domestic violence protections, pay equity enforcement, Jewish demographic data collection, court transparency, auto glass insurance practices, pet policy disclosure for renters, and civil rights accountability for federal officers. SB 99 would require courts and law enforcement to better recognize military protective orders in domestic violence cases; supporters from the Department of Defense and military organizations said it would close jurisdictional gaps for military families, and the bill passed to Public Safety. SB 1237 would increase penalties for repeat noncompliance with California pay data reporting laws; supporters said stronger enforcement is needed to address persistent wage gaps, and the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 1387 would allow Jewish identity to be reported as an ethnic category in state demographic data; supporters said better data would improve policy and anti-discrimination efforts, while opponents argued the bill was unnecessary or divisive, and it passed to Privacy. SB 932 would require assignees filing civil actions to identify the original party in the case caption; supporters framed it as a transparency measure, and it passed to Judiciary/Appropriations on call. The committee also took up SB 98, which would regulate auto glass insurance claims by restricting assignment of benefits, requiring clearer estimates and invoices, and limiting inducements to consumers. The sponsor and NICB said the bill would curb fraud and unsafe repairs, while independent glass shops and industry groups argued it could reduce consumer choice and favor insurer-aligned networks; the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 1296 would require landlords to disclose pet policies before collecting application fees and provide refunds if nondisclosure materially affected an applicant’s decision; supporters said it would save renters time and money, while rental housing representatives objected to a provision limiting eviction based solely on failure to sign a pet addendum. The bill passed to Appropriations. Finally, SB 747, the No Kings Act, would create a California cause of action allowing people to sue federal officers for constitutional violations using standards similar to Section 1983. Senator Wiener and a witness who said he was unlawfully detained by Border Patrol argued the bill is needed because federal officers currently lack comparable accountability after the Supreme Court narrowed Bivens remedies. Law enforcement groups opposed the bill, warning that the qualified immunity language is unclear, could create a separate California standard, and might expose officers and governments to retroactive litigation; members discussed possible amendments on qualified immunity and retroactivity, and the bill was moved forward with an urgency amendment while negotiations continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• tomorrow's hearing, Wednesday, will mainly be on proposals from the administration on housing and homelessness
• And homelessness, taxes, and if we need to do anything from today that we haven't finished, we can take
• And you guys do a lot of work for a lot of students.
• And that will fund over 4,000 College Corps students at 53 campuses for the 2026-27 year. Okay.
• And we do recognize that a lot of those fees that are paid for are essentially supported by students

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so this and homelessness programs—I think Rep.
• Knox has a bill this session that deals with veteran homelessness. I think Rep.
• on our school campuses and college campuses and especially around big events where we have many students
• ,' when in fact that school resource officer's time is better spent on other safety concerns for students
• So we would just oppose any further criminalization. on other safety concerns for students.

Bills: HB59 , HB74 , HB159 , HB167 , HB175 , HB255 , HB330 , HB364 , HB458 , HB525 , HB568 , HB656 , HB1033 , HB1034 , HB1070

Committee: House Administration of Criminal Justice

Keywords: public defender, funding, district court, East Baton Rouge, judicial expenses, Autism Spectrum Disorder, missing children, law enforcement, public safety, Spectrum Alert, inmate documentation, post-release employment, special identification card, Louisiana Department of Public Safety, reentry services, veterans, veterans services, lottery proceeds, special fund, grant board

Transcript Highlights:

• We've added a medical respite benefit for members experiencing homelessness.
• I think we're saying Medicaid reimbursement for services provided to students. Mr.
• colleague Katie Ellis, that was a resounding theme from our community of disabled individuals to students
• It was a receiving home for homeless children.
• I think we'd see improved student outcomes, and I think we'd see healthier families if we could get our

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and young adults provides to students and young adults like<01:03:46.640><c> me.
• Connecting hundreds of students and hundreds of businesses each year.
• </c><01:25:53.440><c> and</c> uh connecting hundreds of students and uh connecting hundreds of students
• There's a letter from the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless.
• </c><01:43:12.800><c> Uh</c> Coalition Coalition for Homeless. Uh Coalition Coalition for Homeless.

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 54.720><c> so</c><00:25:54.919><c> that's</c><00:25:55.120><c> where</c><00:25:55.240><c> the</c> homeless
• right so that's where the homeless right so that's where the savings<00:25:55.720><c> are</c><00:25:
• that were our students we had vocational<01:04:18.680><c> education</c><01:04:19.240><c> back</c><01
• that didn't exist after a students that didn't exist after a time<01:04:30.839><c> in</c><01:04:31.400
• Develop a plan to work with a school district to offer vocational exploration opportunities for students

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Blakespear, SB 866, homelessness housing assistance and prevention program.
• SB 1328, Post-Secondary Education Student Contacts. The motion is do pass.
• SB 959, Student Attendance Major Safety Hazards. The motion is do pass.
• SB 1082, Student Inter-District Transfers. This motion is due pass.
• Student Inter-District Transfers. This motion is due pass.

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Committee met for a suspense-file hearing and voted only on measures already heard previously, with no public testimony. The chair explained that bills were taken up quickly in author order, with amended bills to be followed by addendum analyses. The committee considered a very large slate of Senate bills and two Assembly measures covering wildfire resilience, housing, insurance, energy, transportation, public safety, elections, health care, labor, environmental regulation, and various administrative and tax issues. Most measures were approved, many on unanimous or near-unanimous votes, while a substantial number passed on 5-2 or 5-1 party-line votes with Republicans generally voting no. Several bills were amended before passage, including changes to funding contingencies, timelines, reporting requirements, definitions, and removal of certain enforcement or private-right-of-action provisions. A few members noted concerns on specific bills, including Senator Richardson on SB 1203 (private security training), though he said he would vote for it at this stage. Among the notable actions, the committee advanced bills on wildfire smoke, wildfire recovery, mobile home parks, insurance nonrenewals, AI transparency, data center energy issues, Medi-Cal and health coverage, criminal justice, election administration, housing, and labor/workforce standards. The committee also approved AB 46 and AB 736. No bills were held for testimony because the hearing was vote-only, and the meeting adjourned after all items on the agenda were disposed of.

Transcript Highlights:

• Previously, there was an exemption for homelessness, there was an exemption for veterans, and there was
• And then I want to know how many of those A-BOD are college students, just in general.
• So my next question, if I may follow up, how will the work requirement impact... ...students that are
• learning about what those possibilities might be, and we have those opportunities for our high school students
• Students to be able to do apprenticeships or to have work-based learning or all these kinds of things

Committee: All ALC-HOSPITAL, MEDICAID, & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES STUDY SUBCOMMITTEE

Summary: The subcommittee received a brief DHS update on the Living Choices Assisted Living Waiver reimbursement rate process, with Secretary Janet Mann reporting that the new cost reporting period began in January and that DHS has begun provider and contractor conference calls as the process moves forward. The bulk of the meeting focused on DHS’s overview of TANF and, especially, SNAP changes under the federal One Big Beautiful Bill. Mary Franklin explained new SNAP work requirements for adults ages 18 to 64 who are not otherwise exempt, including the three-month time limit in a 36-month period unless they meet an 80-hour monthly work, volunteer, education, or training requirement. She also reviewed exemptions, noted that some prior exemptions were removed while new tribal-related exemptions were added, and described SNAP Employment and Training providers, budgets, service areas, participant characteristics, and outcomes. Members asked about how mandatory referrals will work, whether funding and vendors are sufficient, how cross-program participation is tracked, how verification and recertification will be handled, and how error rates and sanctions will be managed. DHS said mandatory participants will be referred directly to providers, verification will occur at application and recertification, interviews can be by phone, and the department will return with more information on error-rate mitigation and other requested data. DHS then outlined upcoming Medicaid community engagement requirements for the ARHOME population under the same federal law, which must be implemented by January 1, 2027. The department said it is preparing policy, system changes, data matching, communications, and an outbound customer-service verification process, with a soft launch planned for July to help identify who would meet the requirement or need to provide more information. Members raised concerns about notice, local versus centralized decision-making, and how clients will document work, school, caregiving, or medical exemptions. The meeting concluded with broader discussion of the Alliance for Opportunity audit and a shared emphasis on using SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, and workforce programs together to improve outcomes, expand training options, and better connect Arkansans to education and employment opportunities. The committee also discussed extending the audit contract at a future meeting and adjourned without taking any formal vote in the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Previously, there was an exemption for homelessness, there was an exemption for veterans, and there was
• And then I want to know how many of those A-BOD are college students, just in general.
• So my next question, if I may follow up, how will the work requirement impact... ...students that are
• learning about what those possibilities might be, and we have those opportunities for our high school students
• to be able to do apprenticeships or to have work-based learning or all of these... ...students to be

Committee: All ALC-HOSPITAL, MEDICAID, & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES STUDY SUBCOMMITTEE

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You may remember the secretary talks about a case where we had a student from the Whatcom County area
• You may have remember the secretary talks about a case where we had a student from the Watcomb County
• these days, though they are unpaid, you are also taking some of the heavy burden off workers or students
• Of workers or students who, while many legally can take these days, often have to miss out on special
• Thank you. of workers or students who, while many legally can take these days, often have to miss out

Summary: The committee heard six bills on January 27, 2026. Senate Bill 6084 would clarify the prohibition on voting more than once in an election, in response to a court ruling that interpreted “election” narrowly; the sponsor and Secretary of State’s office said the bill is meant to ensure a person votes only once in Washington or in one state and another on the same election date. Testimony was brief and supportive, and the hearing was closed with many people signed in pro and con but not testifying. Senate Bill 6044 would recognize Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas as a legislatively recognized day, and Senate Bill 5950 would add several non-legal holidays, including Sikh, Baha’i, Jewish, and Buddhist observances. Sponsors and supporters described the bills as a way to acknowledge minority faith traditions, promote inclusion, and help communities feel seen; testimony came from Jewish, Sikh, multi-faith, Hindu, Zoroastrian, and Buddhist representatives. The committee recorded substantial support for both measures, with no opposition testimony, and closed both hearings. Senate Bill 6046 would establish the Washington Division of Civil Air Patrol within the Military Department to better coordinate volunteer aviation support for disasters, search and rescue, cybersecurity, and other missions. The sponsor, Military Department, Civil Air Patrol, and veterans’ representatives said it would improve command and control and help the state use Civil Air Patrol more efficiently at no added cost. Senate Bill 5763 would create a grant program for local law enforcement aviation support units and expand wildfire-related aviation support to sheriff’s offices; sheriffs and police chiefs strongly supported it as a way to sustain helicopter-based search and rescue and disaster response, while DNR raised concerns about wildfire aviation standards, liability, and possible bill drafting issues. The committee also heard Senate Bill 5784, which would require agencies to collect and report more detailed demographic data under updated federal standards; the sponsor said better disaggregation is needed for accountability and to identify disparities, and the Office of Equity supported the policy while noting fiscal and privacy concerns and the need for possible amendments. The meeting ended after the final hearing, with no votes taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• 03:04.000><c> and</c> family homelessness prevention and family homelessness prevention and assistance
• </c><00:37:32.720><c> is</c> keeping people out of homelessness is keeping people out of homelessness
• It is the difference between staying in their home and being homeless.
• And so as it relates to homelessness, we have to be clear that I expect homelessness to go up in the
• ,</c> so the as it relates to uh homelessness, so the as it relates to uh homelessness, we<00:47:14.800

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• resolution states that our housing strategy must include paths to ownership alongside rental and homelessness
• His end goal was always to create opportunities for student athletes.
• Steve leaves behind his family, friends, and countless students and athletes.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, offered prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and then took up several floor items. The main policy item was SR 71 by Senator Arreguín, a resolution recognizing the importance of affordable homeownership in California. Supporters from both parties emphasized homeownership as a path to stability, wealth-building, and neighborhood strength, while noting the state’s high housing costs, racial disparities in ownership, and the role of nonprofit builders such as Habitat for Humanity and state programs like CalHome. The resolution passed 35-0, and Senator Arreguín then introduced Habitat for Humanity advocates visiting for Annual Advocacy Day. The Senate also confirmed three gubernatorial appointments: Trista Gonzalez as Director of the Department of Tax and Fee Administration, Aaron McGuire as executive director of the Board of State and Community Corrections, and Lee Herrick for reappointment as California Poet Laureate. All three confirmations were approved unanimously or near-unanimously. In addition, the body adopted SCR 115 by Senator Daly, recognizing Wear Red Day and February as Heart Health Month, with extensive remarks about women’s heart disease, stroke awareness, and the importance of listening to symptoms; the resolution passed 37-0. The Senate then adopted SR 75 by Senator Rubio, designating CalEITC Awareness Week to promote awareness of the state earned income tax credit, which supporters described as a key anti-poverty tool; it passed 29-0. During privileges of the floor, the Senate welcomed visiting British shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly and his wife, Lady Susanna Cleverly, who are in California through a USC Schwarzenegger Institute fellowship studying housing policy. The chamber also heard a committee announcement and a motion to move one file item to the inactive file. The session concluded with adjournment in memory of Frank Gehry, June Roberti, and Stephen Michael Ruda Flores, with members offering tributes to each and the Senate announcing its next meeting date.

Transcript Highlights:

• A randomized controlled trial in college-age students found that limiting media use to 30 minutes a day
• In the national recognition, this uncertainty places Texas law schools and their students at significant
• Relating to the issuance of birth certificates to a homeless individual, Senate Bill 801.

Bills: SB1065 , SB2117 , SB2217 , SB2363 , SB2533 , SB2742 , SB2743 , SB2881 , SB2964 , SB3013 , SB3014

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Keywords: SB 1065, handgun carry, license holder, concealed carry, open carry, government contracts, governmental entity, property lease, state agencies, local government, higher education, university, Texas Government Code, Penal Code 30.06, Penal Code 30.07, Penal Code 46.03, Second Amendment, gun rights, firearms, civil penalty

Transcript Highlights:

• Moving to the next change item on your spreadsheet is Line 11 for the Family Homeless Prevention and
• , line 3, would require MHFA annually to convene a meeting with the Interagency Council to End Homelessness
• The $30.6 million Increase in family homeless prevention will help around 8,500 more renters stay in
• If they do experience homelessness, it ensures that the duration is short.
• action partners has calculated that it costs them roughly $45,000 to help a family get out of homelessness

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy